Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance

20/06/2025

📊 UK EI disease outbreak summary: January to March 2025

🔹In January 2025, one case of Equine Influenza (EI) was confirmed via PCR on a nasopharyngeal swab, however, no epidemiological data could be obtained, due to the submitting veterinary practice not providing the necessary data.

⚠️Vets and their clients are urged to share anonymous details of lab-confirmed EI cases to strengthen equine disease surveillance data for the UK 🤝

18/06/2025

🔍 EIDS Free Advice Service for UK Vets 🐴

🎯Tailored for vets, our free advice service offers comprehensive disease control guidance

We can help ensure precision in your diagnosis, we can recommend customised outbreak control measures, and expert advice on clearance testing and future preventive measures for owners and premises

📋Need assistance? Don't hesitate to get in touch with us!

16/06/2025

🏅As part of our ongoing commitment to biosecurity, EIDS brings you this week's vital tip. Here is Tip Number 4:

✨Proper Waste Management ✨

🔹Ensure proper disposal of manure and bedding. Use designated areas and avoid piling waste near stables or paddocks.

🔹Additionally, establish a separate muck heap and waste disposal area specifically for isolation or quarantine spaces to prevent cross-contamination and maintain biosecurity.

13/06/2025

🗞️ UK laboratory strangles diagnoses summary: January to March 2025

🔹108 laboratory diagnosed cases of strangles were reported to SES

🔹We’ve provided a short summary of these diagnoses here, but you can explore more information in our quarterly disease report for Q1 2025, available here:https://equinesurveillance.org/landing/resources/reports/dsr20251.pdf

🌐SES also has a website where you can explore strangles diagnoses from the most recently reported back to 2015 ➡️www.equinesurveillance.org/ses

Strangles Awareness Week

11/06/2025

🗞️ Equine Quarterly Disease Surveillance Report 2025 Q1 News 🗞️

🚨 Multidrug-Resistant Rhodococcus equi Detected in Japan

A strain of Rhodococcus equi (MDR-RE 2287), already known for causing severe, treatment-resistant pneumonia in foals, has now been identified in Japan. First emerging in the US, this multidrug-resistant clone has slowly spread to major breeding regions including Ireland. Its resistance to both macrolides and rifampicin renders standard treatments ineffective, posing a serious threat to youngstock health worldwide. 🐴

💡Resistance in this strain is linked to mobile genetic elements, meaning the resistance traits can potentially transfer to other R. equi strains, raising the risk of broader, long-term establishment

🔍 The recent detection in Japan involved a slightly altered but still highly resistant variant closely related to those found in the US and Ireland, highlighting global dissemination risks.

Read more here:https://equinesurveillance.org/landing/resources/reports/dsr20251.pdf

09/06/2025

🏅Welcome back to our weekly biosecurity tips! This week, EIDS is pleased to share Tip Number 3:

✨Visitor Protocols ✨

🔹 Implement protocols for visitors, including requiring them to wash or sanitise their hands on arrival, wear clean clothing if they've come from another yard and disinfect their footwear before entering the stable.

🔹These measures may feel challenging to implement, but by advocating for change and improved biosecurity, you play a crucial role in protecting the health of everyone on your premises!

06/06/2025

📊 UK Equine Grass Sickness case summary: 2025 so far

🔹26 cases of Equine Grass Sickness were reported to the Equine Grass Sickness Fund between January and Mary 2025

🔹Cases have occurred across Scotland and England, with the most being reported in May which is the start of the high-risk season for EGS. Owners are urged to remain vigilant for early signs of the disease.

🌱 EIDS would like to remind followers that with the support of The British Horse Society, the EGSF has a biobank that collects data from case reports alongside biological and environmental samples. Samples are stored and available to all researchers investigating EGS. Find out more here: https://www.grasssickness.org.uk/biobank/

05/06/2025

EIDS are proud collaborators of Strangles Awareness Week and so pleased to see the positive stamp this year's campaign has had across the equine industry! 💛🐴

We're delighted to share a snapshot of what YOU helped us achieve during SAW25 in our new infographic. All those social media posts, shares and interactions really do add up! Working together makes all the difference when it comes to protecting horses, owners and yards from the misery of an infectious disease outbreak. THANK YOU!

Please keep sharing the BEST steps and spreading the word (not the disease). Rest assured that the SAW Collaborators are already planning ahead for !

Redwings Horse Sanctuary, Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, The British Horse Society, Dechra UK, The Horse Trust, Mare and Foal Sanctuary, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, World Horse Welfare and 💛

04/06/2025

🗞️ Equine Quarterly Disease Surveillance Report 2025 Q1 Focus Article 🗞️

💉 Strangvac is here - but are we using it?

Strangles, caused by Streptococcus equi, remains one of the most common and disruptive infectious diseases in UK horses. In 2022, a new vaccine, Strangvac, was launched, offering an intramuscular, subunit vaccine with DIVA (Differentiate Infected from Vaccinated Animals) capability.

Despite Strangvac’s promising profile, uptake among vets and clients appeared limited. A University of Cambridge student led survey was launched to explore UK veterinary surgeons’ experiences with strangles control, particularly vaccination practices, awareness of Strangvac, and barriers to its use.

Findings: UK vets reveal high awareness but low adoption of the new strangles vaccine, Strangvac. While 84% had heard of it, fewer than 1 in 5 recommend vaccination, and uptake remains below 10% in most practices.

🔍 Key barriers include low client demand, practices not stocking the vaccine, cost concerns, and uncertainty around efficacy.

📣 The takeaway? Vets are key to changing attitudes and play a central role in increasing uptake by discussing benefits with clients and ensuring vaccines are available.

Read it here: https://equinesurveillance.org/landing/resources/

Strangles Awareness Week

02/06/2025

🏅Continuing our summer series, EIDS presents this week's biosecurity tip. Here is Tip Number 2:

✨ Clean and Disinfect Equipment✨

🔹Regularly clean and disinfect all equipment, including brushes, saddles, and water buckets, to reduce the risk of disease transmission

🔹Having an adequate supply of disinfectants is essential for maintaining a clean and hygienic environment on your yard. Additionally, being well-stocked with disinfectants ensures prompt response to potential disease outbreaks.

30/05/2025

UK EHV disease outbreak summary: January to March 2025

🔹Eight outbreaks of EHV associated-disease outbreaks were reported to EIDS, one EHV-1 neurological, one EHV-1 respiratory, one EHV-1 reproductive and four EHV-4 respiratory.

🔹We’ve provided a short summary of these outbreaks here, but you can explore more information in our quarterly disease report for Q1 2025, available here:https://equinesurveillance.org/landing/resources/reports/dsr20251.pdf

⚠️EIDS was made aware of a further 10 outbreaks of EHV-4 respiratory infection and four EHV-1 reproductive outbreaks that also occurred during Q1 2025, but which EIDS was unable to report as no epidemiological data were made available. This was either due to submitting veterinary practices not providing the necessary data when requested or permission not provided for the information to be reported anonymously at the county level.

Vets and their clients are urged to share anonymous details of lab-confirmed EHV cases to strengthen equine disease surveillance data for the UK 🤝

30/05/2025

🦠 Hot topics in horse health, straight from the frontline.
The Q1 2025 Equine Disease Report is out now! 📊🐴

Read it here:https://equinesurveillance.org/landing/resources/reports/dsr20251.pdf